July 16,1899. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
7‘29 
Cabbages Rotten in the Centre.— E. G. Sheppard : 
The specimens you sent certainly presented a 
suspicious appearance as if some one had been 
putting lime or gas-lime into the centre in order to 
spoil your Cabbages. The decayed portions had 
some white substance upon them, but the injury 
must have been done some time ago, and was too far 
advanced for finding whether any grubs were 
present. We failed to discover any insects. Before 
fixing suspicion, however, on anyone, we should 
advise you to think over the matter, whether you 
had been scattering fresh gas-lime over the ground, 
nitrate of soda or any of the highly concentrated 
manures which might have settled in the crowns, and 
LAELIOCATTLEYA DIGBYANO- 
MOSSIAE. 
Ten years ago this remarkable hybrid first made its 
appearance in public, and caused considerable 
sensation amongst Orchid growers. We call atten¬ 
tion to it to explain the use of terms frequently used 
in descriptions. The parents were Cattleya Mossiae 
(female) and Laelia digbyana (male). When plants 
belonging to two different genera, or reputed genera, 
are used for hybridising, we speak of the progeny as 
a bigeneric hybrid. Moreover, Cattleya and Laelia 
are closely allied; but in the particular case under 
notice Laelia digbyana was at one time named 
hybridisation. Sophrocattleya batemanniana, 
flowered in 1886, was considered the most remark¬ 
able bigeneric hybrid of its day, the parents being 
Sophronites grandiflora (female) and Cattleya inter¬ 
media. Our readers, who have not hitherto given 
the subject their attention, will now see from what 
the name Sophrocattleya was derived. 
ROUND OAK, ENGLEFIELD GREEN. 
At this place, the seat of N. L. Cohen, Esq , one is 
always sure of meeting with some things well done, 
whether in the autumn, when Mr. A. Sturt has put 
the finishing touches to his Chrysanthemums ere 
Laeliocattleya Digbyano-Mossiae. 
thus caused a commencement of the injury of which 
you complain. The case wants close searching upon 
the spot, but it should have been done at a much 
earlier period of the evil. 
■< » 
Trees and Soil.—It is not so much thought of as 
it should be, the action of trees in bringing acccumu- 
lations of mineral matter to the surface soil. We 
have the organic elements in the air, and about us, but 
require a larger gleaning of the inorganic matters, 
which the trees bring up from far down, to build up 
leaf structure which falls and returns the mineral 
ash to the surface of the land. 
Brassavola digbyana, and is certainly very distinct 
from all its congeners, with the exception of L. 
glauca. Since this bigeneric hybrid appeared in 
public others have been produced, owning Laelia 
digbyana as one of their parents. They all agree in 
having the remarkable fringes to the lip, a character 
derived from L. digbyana. No doubt many others 
of this group will sooner or later come before the 
public, when the seedlings raised by different 
growers have had time to come into bloom. There 
are already many bigeneric hybrids in cultivation, 
some of which are more showy than that under 
notice, but none more interesting, Those of the 
group already flowered are triumphs of the art of 
taking them out to victory as he has done at many of 
the surrounding shows, or in the summer when the 
Roses are in their prime, and just about taking a 
journey to Windsor to enter the lists. 
Any time during the summer the specimen 
Fuchsias in large beds on the lawns, with an under¬ 
growth of Heliotrope are a feature worthy of much 
commendation, and some share of imitation. 'Tis 
not of these, however, I now speak, as neither were 
at their best, but of the Carnations. The Malmaison 
type is in greater number, but others of the tree section 
occupy a large space. When brought into close 
contact with any flowers they always appear larger 
and more imposing, and perhaps fuller than when at 
